Red One follows in the footsteps of prior Amazon MGM titles such as the critically acclaimed Air and the recent thriller Saltburn, both of which were given an exclusive theatrical window before being released to streaming via Prime Video. No doubt the studio is looking to capitalize on the holiday action fun of Red One, with the movie sure to be popular among audiences when it comes to Christmas 2024.

This release schedule bodes well for Red One and its box office ambitions, which the studio will no doubt be looking at closely due to The Rock’s major payday.

Directed by Jake Kasdan, with a script written by Chris Morgan, and from an original story by Hiram Garcia, Red One also stars the likes of Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Lucy Liu (Kill Bill), Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Nick Kroll (Don’t Worry Darling), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), and Wesley Kimmel (The Book of Boba Fett), and Bonnie Hunt (Jumanji, Toy Story 4) as Mrs. Claus.

Spider-Man: No Way Home and Whiplash star J.K. Simmons will play a superhero Santa Claus in Red One, with Johnson having heaped praise on his Academy Award-winning co-star. “Santa the rockstar. It’s an honor having his six,” Johnson said of starring alongside Simmons. “Another solid work week in the books on our Christmas movie, RED ONE. Academy Award winner and coolest dude in the North Pole, J.K. Simmons bringing Santa’s big ol’ beautiful heart to life. More to come. Back to work.”

Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans Team-Up for Festive Action Flick Red One

While details of Red One still remain somehwat under wraps, action movie superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson faces down the dreaded Krampus in a recent look at Amazon’s upcoming Christmas outing. Sharing an image of his character, Commander of the E.L.F. Callum Drift, staring down the demonic version of Santa Claus, Johnson finally confirms once and for all that The Krampus will indeed be the villain of the piece.

“Sometimes Christmas mythology is scary,” Johnson says in a caption alongside this latest image. “This is Krampus. Yup, that’s his torso and this is a big problem.” It certainly is a big problem, with The Krampus towering over the living behemoth that is The Rock. “Our #RedOne sets have been pretty impressive and wild and these Christmas lore monsters are quite spectacular,” the actor adds. “Can’t wait for you to see. More to come. ~ Commander of the E.L.F.”

For those whose Christmas has not yet been ruined by knowledge of The Krampus, this particular monster is a legend that harks from Central Europe. Described as the yin to Santa Claus’ yang, The Krampus punishes misbehaving children, either beating them with branches or making them disappear. Stuffing them into his sack and taking them off to his lair to be tortured or eaten, The Krampus has starred in many movies over the years, including the Christmas horror comedy Krampus back in 2015. No doubt we will all be glad to have The Rock on our side when Red One comes around.

Red One will not only feature a battle between The Rock and The Krampus, but also the long-awaited team-up between Johnson and Marvel star Chris Evans. With Johnson set to star as Callum Drift, the Commander of the E.L.F., Evans will star as everyman Jack O’Malley, who finds himself dragged into this battle to save Christmas.

Once again, Red One will now be released in theaters on November 15, 2024, before landing on Prime Video. The project is being planned as the first outing in a potential Christmas-action franchise for the streaming platform.